Braxton County, West Virginia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Braxton County
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The Braxton County Courthouse in Sutton in 2007
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Location within the U.S. state of West Virginia
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 West Virginia's location within the U.S. |
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  West Virginia |
| Founded | January 15, 1836 |
| Named for | Carter Braxton |
| Seat | Sutton |
| Largest town | Sutton |
| Area | |
| • Total | 516.28 sq mi (1,337.2 km2) |
| • Land | 510.74 sq mi (1,322.8 km2) |
| • Water | 5.54 sq mi (14.3 km2) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 12,447 |
| • Density | 24.37/sq mi (9.41/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional district | 2nd |
Braxton County is a county in the central part of the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 12,447. The county seat is Sutton. The county was formed in 1836 from parts of Lewis, Kanawha, and Nicholas counties and named for Carter Braxton, a Virginia statesman and signer of the Declaration of Independence.
In 2010, the center of population of West Virginia was in northern Braxton County.
Important salt works were located at Bulltown and here, in 1772, Captain Bull and his family and friendly Delaware Indians were massacred by frontiersmen. Jesse Hughes helped Jeremiah Carpenter and track and kill the Indians responsible for the Carpenter deaths. Jeremiah was a notable fiddle player who wrote a song Shelvin’ Rock about the experience of escaping to rock shelter.
Contents
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 516 square miles (1,340 km2), of which 511 square miles (1,320 km2) is land and 5.5 square miles (14 km2) (1.1%) is water.
Major highways
Interstate 79
U.S. Highway 19
West Virginia Route 4
West Virginia Route 5
West Virginia Route 15
Adjacent counties
- Lewis County (northeast)
- Webster County (southeast)
- Nicholas County (south)
- Clay County (southwest)
- Calhoun County (west)
- Gilmer County (northwest)
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1840 | 2,575 | — | |
| 1850 | 4,212 | 63.6% | |
| 1860 | 4,992 | 18.5% | |
| 1870 | 6,480 | 29.8% | |
| 1880 | 9,787 | 51.0% | |
| 1890 | 13,928 | 42.3% | |
| 1900 | 18,904 | 35.7% | |
| 1910 | 23,023 | 21.8% | |
| 1920 | 23,973 | 4.1% | |
| 1930 | 22,579 | −5.8% | |
| 1940 | 21,658 | −4.1% | |
| 1950 | 18,082 | −16.5% | |
| 1960 | 15,152 | −16.2% | |
| 1970 | 12,666 | −16.4% | |
| 1980 | 13,894 | 9.7% | |
| 1990 | 12,998 | −6.4% | |
| 2000 | 14,702 | 13.1% | |
| 2010 | 14,523 | −1.2% | |
| 2020 | 12,447 | −14.3% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010–2020 |
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2010 census
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 14,523 people, 6,000 households, and 4,043 families living in the county. The population density was 28.4 inhabitants per square mile (11.0/km2). There were 7,415 housing units at an average density of 14.5 per square mile (5.6/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 98.2% white, 0.4% black or African American, 0.3% American Indian, 0.2% Asian, 0.0% from other races, and 0.9% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 0.5% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 19.7% were German, 15.0% were Irish, 11.7% were English, and 8.0% were American.
Of the 6,000 households, 28.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.8% were married couples living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 32.6% were non-families, and 27.9% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.86. The median age was 43.8 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $32,158 and the median income for a family was $40,421. Males had a median income of $42,355 versus $22,557 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,469. About 17.0% of families and 21.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 30.4% of those under age 18 and 13.0% of those age 65 or over.
Communities
Towns
- Burnsville
- Flatwoods
- Gassaway
- Sutton (county seat)
Unincorporated communities
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Braxton para niños
